Despite annoying adverts, it cannot be denied that Asda/Walmart is a hugely successful company, and it sure does some things right! Cheap prices for one. I mean, you can buy a bottle of Smartprice Vodka for only £3.50 - although you pay for it later as your esophagus is burnt by what is effectively paint stripper. But interestingly, Asda have recently put out a study entitled 'Green Is Normal'. And I have to say it is very interesting indeed!
They questioned over 3000 customers each month between January and August of 2011 about their values and attitudes towards sustainability and 'green consumption'. I'm not going to lie, I love me some value/behaviour studies - it was at the centre of my dissertation after all. Even better, I love value/behavioural studies with a happy conclusion. I won't outline the entire report, but five "new facts" came out of the study, all demonstrating that buying green is no longer considered strange or 'out there'. It is now the norm to consider where products come from, how they were produced, and what their impacts are. "The new weird is to do nothing".
Briefly, respondents stated that:
- Green is normal; considering sustainable issues is 'intelligent' in terms of savings and energy efficiency
- Consumers should play a more important role in discussing environmental issues
- Green products should be easier to find; there needs to be clearer signposting to guide customers
- Respondents claimed they planned/wanted to increase the amount of green products they purchase
- Buying green shouldn't be more expensive; it isn't a 'fashion' which you should pay more for.
Some very positive points here! ... But I wouldn't be a post-grad if I didn't look at it critically now would I?
It is honestly great to see that sustainability is penetrating the minds of the public in such a way. I would love to live in a world where environmentalism isn't only associated with Greenpeace members, but with the Average Joe who tries to make his office that tiny bit greener. However, if there is one thing I know about values and behaviour (and I know a fair bit), it's that values don't necessarily mean behaviour change. So Asda's study shows that people want to buy more 'green' - but that doesn't mean they will! And at the end of the day, it's action that counts.
Values are extremely important - they place the individual in the right state of mind to act in a specific way; but there are a huge number of barriers which could easily stop them. And this study has already highlighted two of them (albeit in a very positive way): clearer demonstration of green products, and - of course - price. It seems to be like this in every green-behaviour situation; I found exactly the same in my dissertation research for example... if people want to be green, they do as much as they can, but their full potential is hindered by organisational barriers. In the case of my research, it wasn't so much about price but about people with conflicting values and opinions.
So who's job is it to ensure that people can be greener if they so wish? Is it the consumers who have to push harder? Is it the supermarkets (or whatever organisation that may apply in this situation) who have to restructure their operations? Is it the environmental experts who have to come in and sort everything out (while also annoying all those who feel it is a waste of time)? Or maybe we just need to make sure that absolutely everyone feels that 'green is normal'... that would sort things out, it's unlikely to ever happen, but it would sure sort things out!
In my unimportant opinion, it's about getting all of the above to work together. And I reckon Asda have stumbled onto something good by doing this study and by asking the opinions of their customers. Communication is key after all.
It's a good report, and it's not too dense. If you're interested in reading it for yourself, click here.
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